Shipping a guitar through UPS Issue

I just had a hell of a day being turned away by stores who couldn't sign for a high-value-insured guitar I needed to ship today and had to catch a UPS driver in the lot to take it.

I've never experienced this issue before shipping anything high value over the last two years.. Is this new? Are UPS store employees so untrustworthy that they can't be allowed to sign for something valuable? Have I been duped?

Weird my Suhr I just sold had no issue for buying and selling. Both times being insured for several thousand dollars and I had no issues with UPS both times. Customs was a different story but that's not the topic lol

The company I work for ships heavy, expensive packages via UPS and Fedex, and by and far does UPS have a worse track record with destroying boxes and losing shit. UPS will throw your shit around so much that the box busts open, and then without even telling you they just tape it back up. When a packages arrives to you from UPS, I would mind how it is taped and the condition of the box beneath the clear plastic tape they use, because if there's something missing from the package and you want to file a claim you will have had to have ordered the delivery man to make note that the package was damaged upon arrival. If not, and especially if there are tiny pieces in your package, there is a real possibility that something could fall out of a damaged box, then UPS would tape it up and never tell you; you would believe you were short shipped when it was UPS all along.

Ugh. I refuse to use UPS to ship guitars. They are the worst. They literally throw their packages in the warehouse. Personally, I've never had a problem with USPS, and they are fast and cheap. Once in a while, something gets lost and takes an extra week or so to be delivered, but at least it gets there in one piece. I can handle getting a rare guitar a week late, but a rare guitar that's been damaged sucks.

I've had nothing but problems with UPS and FedEx. Damaged packages, chipped headstocks, boxes left at the wrong address, and no help from customer service. UPS has gone as far as claiming I signed for a package, then actually delivering it later the next day without even a knock at my door.